Rwanda’s unemployment rate surges to 22 pct

KIGALI, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) — The unemployment rate in Rwanda increased from 13.1 percent in February to 22.1 percent in May, according to a national survey released here on Wednesday.

The unemployed population rose to 905,198 in May from 536,714 in February, said the survey of the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, adding that 25 percent of women and 19.6 percent of men were unemployed in May.

The survey also showed that the unemployment rate among young people aged 16-30 years old was at 27.2 percent, higher than 17.7 percent among adults aged more than 30 years old.

The unemployment rate was also higher in rural areas with 22.3 percent, compared with 21 percent in urban areas, it said.

According to the survey, employment in the industry sector increased by 5.3 percent while services and market-oriented agriculture sectors decreased by 14.2 percent and 12.9 percent respectively in May, compared to February.

The survey is based on interviews with 3,401 households, it added. Enditem